Mar 1, 2016

Rob Johnson says the power shift could impact on his preselection bid.

Maverick Liberal MP Rob Johnson has taken aim at his party once again, claiming it has done nothing to stop "religious cults" seizing control of the federal division of Moore, in Perth's northern suburbs.

The Hillarys MP, whose state preselection is in doubt because of his public fallout with Premier Colin Barnett, claimed non-mainstream church groups had completed their takeover of the division at its annual general meeting on Saturday.

Mr Johnson said in recent times the division had been overrun with members associated with the Globalheart Church in Joondalup and One Church in Merriwa, and said they had been encouraged to join by Federal Liberal MP Ian Goodenough.

Mr Goodenough is supporting State Upper House MP Peter Katsambanis, who is challenging Mr Johnson for preselection in Hillarys.

Mr Johnson said the election of church members to key positions on Saturday confirmed his fears that the division had been infiltrated.

"I call them religious cults and what really concerns me is that they are masquerading as Liberals and they are taking over the Liberal Party in the northern suburbs," he said.

"Their power has been increasing and I'm very, very concerned that normal Liberal voters are not aware of what is happening.

"They have been bombing my branches, particularly the Padbury branch.

"Ian Goodenough has signed up people from a religious sect in Quinns Rock and stuck them in my Padbury branch which is about 25 miles away.

"And that's been done for the pure reason of trying to disenfranchise the absolute democratic right of that branch to take part in the preselection for the seat of Hillarys."

Evangelical Christians will be endorsed: Rob Johnson

Mr Johnson conceded the power shift could have an impact on his preselection, which will be decided in April.

He believed the Liberal Party would end up preselecting at least three evangelical Christians in Perth's northern suburbs.

"If they want to run as a so-called Christian group, they should have the guts to do that but they know they won't get anywhere," he said.

"They won't win seats as Christian Democrats and so they've decided to stand as Liberals.

"Now I don't think that's being completely open and honest."

But Mr Goodenough claimed Mr Johnson had no intention of recontesting Hillarys and had been plotting to install his preferred successor instead.

"Mr Johnson is promoting a non-local successor who belongs to a non-Christian religion, that is why religion has become an issue in the first place," said the federal MP.

"Religion, however, has nothing to do with the fact that a non-local successor is not gaining local support."

Mr Goodenough refused to respond to Mr Johnson's claim that some Liberal MPs were setting up "employment bureaus" for people connected with the Globalheart Church, by employing them in their offices.

"It is not appropriate for a Member of Parliament to comment about the personal affairs of his staff, such as religion," he said.